A New Muslim

Title: A New Muslim
Author: TAZZ
Started: Jan 02, 2008
Status: Draft ver 1.0
Ended: Jan 10, 2008
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This is a story of a man named Ramm living somewhere in a muslim majority area within Pakistan. Ramm belonged to a middle classed hindu family whose only living relative was his younger sister, Seema. Ramm had to earn his living by working in areas principally populated by muslims.

Where ever Ramm went to work, he faced humiliation for not being a hindu. His was always mistreated and never treated with respect. Ramm would always wonder why these muslims didnot have tolerance towards people of other religion? Ramm had never heard any wise man speaking of any religion that professed hatred towards any human beings and debasing them for their color, race or religious orientation. "So why this treatment from muslims?", Ramm would say?

Ramm though that maybe if he became a muslim everything would change! He would be treated with respect. He would be relieved of the humiliation towards him for being a hindu. He went to see the Maulvi and asked him to help him convert to being a Muslim. Ramm and his sister, Seema were converted to muslims.

Every muslim was happy because a hindu had converted to a muslim. It was the greatest war fought and won by muslims of the neighbourhood. It was the great of the greatest days for all the muslims. Every hindu who had heard of it, mourned and cursed muslims for making their living miserable and humiliating. Not an eye was empty of tears or a heart without sorrow that day.

There were celebrations and joys. After all a hindu had chose to become a muslim. He was inspired by their religion and living. These were some of the thoughts among muslims. Ramm was given a garland, a piece of gulab jamun to celebrate his memorial event.

And now since Ramm was muslim, relationship could be developed with his family. Maulvi announed that with Ramm's permission, his sister will be wed to a muslim. Maulvi asked for volunteers. Every muslim was happy and offer to volunteer.

The Maulvi next asked that Ramm will also be married. Who is willing to offer his sister's hand to Ramm. every muslim was now shying and backing off. Saying to himself, "who will let his sister marry Ramm? He is not a born muslim. He has just been converted". Nobody was ready for this.

Seeing and hearing this, Ramm realized the true face of these people. If nobody would allow his sister to marry Ramm because he is a recent convert, why this rule does not apply to Seema's marriage? The religion is not a criteria to evaluate people, good and not-so-good people are found everywhere!

Ramm refused to become a part of such a community where double standards exist to benefit one in the name of religion. Ramm chose to be condemned and humiliated over a desire to be acceptable in the society of delusion.

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Tufail Ali Zubedi, touched by a movie "Orange County" inspires to become a writer one day. To sharpen his writing skills, he is writing blogs here since Dec 27, 2007 by pen name "TAZZ".
Comment on this text? Write to him at zubeditufail@yahoo.com.
He loves to hear them.
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[Via Email] Sissel Chipman:
Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:42:34 -0700

Thank you for sharing this writing. You offer a glimpse of a world unknown to me, and you do it without unnecessary fluff, in a clear and precise language. Keep up the good work! It is a very good story.

Regards,
Sissi

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[Via Email] Wajid Shamsul Hasan: "KEEP IT UP!!!"
Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:40:46 -0000
Dear Tufail,
Usually I avoid getting into such discussion. Yours, however, moved me to tell you that you should keep it up. You will--inshallah--travel far in writing.
May be yours is a fiction but it is not far from truth. And it is more reflective of a slogan that I once read: "Every Muslim wants to go to paradise but nobody wants to die".
In a similar strain I remember another incident that happened in Karachi during the language riots of 1972. Many injured were admitted in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital of Karachi and the nursing staff was overworked. There was, however, a boy who joined the relief work and tirelessly worked round the clock looking after ithe injured--irrespective of their ethnic origins. Nobody knew who he was and what were his ethnic origins--was he Sindhi-speaking or a Urdu-speaking Muhajir. Impressed by his silent devotion an old injured lady got hold of his hand and asked the boy who he was: was he a Sindhi or aMuhajr. Her great persuaion made him open his mouth. He had no tongue!!!
Kind regards
W.S.Hasan

[Via Email] Reply by TAZZ
Friday Jan 11, 2008 11:36pm
Dear Wajid Shamsul Hasan,
Thank you for writing. There are many untold stories in our lives. Some inspire us, some depress us, but most importantly we move on.
Thank you for sharing an incident and your encouragement. You will inshallah be seeing more of my stories, some of which are based on true events and observations.
I hope to be hearing more from you in future!
And until the next time, take good care of yourself and people around you,
Regards
Tufail Ali Zubedi - TAZZ

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[Fantasy_Writing] Posted by: "Anna Del C"
Thu Jan 10, 2008 2:57 pm (PST)
TAZZ:That was a very good start. It needs a bit of editing and it will be great. What are you planing to do with it? Any ideas? I asked because it depend where you will use it, that I can perhaps give you more ideas of how to make it better.
Anna del C.

[Fantasy_Writing ] Replied by: TAZZ
Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:07 am
Hi Anna Del C.
Thank you for writing! I have no plans of using it now but would loveto read what you have to say. Perhaps later in life, I will want it to be a short story.
Waiting to hear from you!
TAZZ

[Fantasy_Writing ] Posted by: "Anna Del C"
Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:02 pm (PST)
If you want to make it a short story you need to added more back ground.
You want to start by showing what kind of family does he and his sister have.
(a scene of their everyday straggles would be very effective)
Also show their life in their city. What does their city look like.
Described your character physically.
Then describe a day in the other people's life and what is the different between the two
religions.
Remember that you want to show your characters and places. Do not just described them,
or they become boring.
Another thing is that dialogs are much more preferable to the readers than mare
explanation.

Examples of description of people:
Watching his sister he saw the beutiful woman of 00 age. She was younger than him for
000 many years. Her black long hair usually cover by the turban of tradition and hard
times, was being brushed carefully and free.

Place:
The wall that surround the block was cover by dirty writing, memories of a times long
gone and of a uncertain future. The streets litter by yesterdays garbage, ransack by the
hungry animal during the night.

Dialog:
The life in this place is better than in others, returned his father.
Yet, they are selfish and humiliated me to no end, father. How much long must I go on this
way.
Until we can find something better, my son, he responded lowering his eyes to the floor.

I hoped that gives you some ideas. Good luck
Anna del C.

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[writing] Posted by: "thebluemax2006"
Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:37 am
Say,Taz; I'll swap blues songs and stories with you all daylong' but I'll leave the religious debate to the scholars.

[writing] Reply by: TAZZ
Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:32 am
Dear "thebluemax2006"
Its not about the religion. The religion is not bad. Any religion is not bad. Sometimes the people of the religion are not so good. That is what I mean by this short write-up!
Regards
TAZZ